Method and apparatus for manufacturing upholstered panels



March 2, 1937. A. s. MITCHELL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURINGUPHOLSTERED PANELS Filed July 10', 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l jzvenzr- March2, 1937. A. SQMITCHELL 2,072,602

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. l vlllllllll ll l Patented Mar; 2, 1937 PATENT OFFICE METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR MANUFAC- TURING UPHOLSTERED PANELS Allister S. Mitchell,Detroit, Mich., assignor to National Automotive Fibres, Inc.,

Detroit,

Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application July 10, 1935, Serial No.30,757

18 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to upholstery panels adapted to beused as trim-panels in automobile bodies, to an improved method ofmanufacturing such panels, and to improved apparatus adapted to thepractice of said method.

The primary object is to provide an improved upholstery panel, aneconomical method of manufacturing the same, and simple apparatus welladapted to the practice of said method.

It is known to provide, for the purpose of upholstering automobiles,trim-panels equipped with snap-fasteners which can be inserted throughholes or sockets in the framework of the body of the automobile.

It is desirable that such upholstery panels shall be provided, betweenthe foundation-plate of the panel and the finish-fabric which serves asa cover, with a padding-sheet, giving softness to the upholstery.

Upholstery panels of the character mentioned are of suitable size andcontour for the space which they are to occupy; and, where necessary,openings or cut-away portions are provided. For example, upholsterypanels for doors may have portions cut away to conform to the contour ofthe lower portion of the door, and may have openings, as for example forthe handle-shaft, the shaft of the window-operating mechanism, or thelike. Heretofore, it has been the practice to provide a relatively stiffsheet of material to serve as a foundation-plate, this sheet being cutto suitable contour and provided with necessary openings; and, where alayer of filling material has been interposed between thefoundation-plate and the finish-fabric, it has been common practice toemploy a sheet of what is known in the trade as blue wedding, thepadding being cut or stamped by dies to give it a contour correspondingwith the base-plate and to provide openings corresponding with those inthe baseplate. In this method of manufacture, considerable difiiculty isencountered in applying the padding to the base-plate and getting it toregister properly. Such method 'of manufacture involves undue expense,and, moreover, fails to give a desirably even surface next to thecoverfabric.

In accordance with the preferred process herein described,foundation-plates having a surface sprayed or coated with adhesive, arefed in succession through suitable apparatus, together with a continuousstrip of cotton batting which becomes adhesively joined to thesuccessive foundation-plates; and suction-means with which the 55apparatus is provided serves to draw the cotton downwardly through theopenings in the plates and through the spaces between or surrounding theplates and trimmers with which the apparatus is equipped serve to trimoff the cotton which is thus drawn downwardly about the edges of theplates.

This method provides an upholstery panel comprising a panel-plate, and alayer of cotton batting, or other soft unwoven fibre adhesively joinedto one surface of the panel-plate. It has been found that thepadding-layer thus applied is of even thickness and presents a smooth,unrufiled outer surface. Moreover, some of the cotton fibres are drawndownwardly over some of the edges of the panel-plate, thus tending toround the edges of the product and aid in securing the padding insmooth, even condition upon the panel-plate.

The panel-plate, after the padding has been thus applied, has acover-fabric applied over the padding, the margins of the fabric beingcommonly lapped over the peripheral edge-portions of the panel-plate andcemented to the under or back surface thereof. The cover-fabric may beapplied in any desired manner. It may, for example, be applied in themanner illustrated in my application Ser. No. 11,527, filed March16;,1935.

The invention, in a preferred embodiment, is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in

Which- Fig. 1 is a broken side elevational view ofnovel mechanismembodying the invention which is adapted to the practice of the improvedprocess; Fig. 2, a plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical sectionalview' taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a broken verticallongitudinal sectional view of the machine, the feed rolls andstripper-rolls being shown in elevation, however; Fig. 5, afragmentary-view illustrating the manner in which the trimmer-roll,which is second in order of operation, performs the function of trimmingthe cotton against the forwardly presented edges (the initial end-edgeof the panel and the final edges of the perforations); Fig. 6, a brokentransverse sectional view taken as indi-'- cated at line 6 of Fig. 1;and Fig. 7, a broken sectional view illustrating my improved trim-panelapplied to a frame member of an automobile body. ,1'

In the drawings illustrating the improved machine, A designates a framewhich may be of any suitable construction, presenting a bed' A overwhich the work passes; B, B and 13, sets of feed. rolls, the bights ofwhich are located at or just above the bed of the machine; 0, acounter-clockwise-turning trimmer-roll, with which is associated afeed-roll C; D, a clockwise-turning, trimmer-roll with which isassociated a feed-roll D; E, a suction-box connected with an exhaustcon- 5 duit E, the top of the suction-box constitutinga portion of thebed of the machine; F, a conveyor which preferably is employed forfeeding the materials to the feed-rolls; G, a conveyor serving to conveythe cotton-covered panel-boards 10 from the machine; H, an electricmotor which drives the trimmer-rolls C and D at a high rate of speedthrough the medium of a belt or chain H; I, a speed-reducing gear-setdriven from the motor H, as by means of a belt or chain I, and 15 fromwhich a belt or chain 1, operating at reduced speed, serves to drive awheel or pulley J which is fixedly mounted upon the shaft of the frontroller J of the conveyor F.

The exhaust pipe E of the suction-box may 20. have suction appliedthereto in any suitable manner, as by means of a suction fan (not shown)driven by the motor.

It will be understood that the trimmer-rolls C and D are driven directlyfrom the motor at a high 25 rate of speed. The shaft of the trimmer-rollC is designated I, and that of the trimmer-roll D is designated 2. Asshown in Fig. 1, the rolls are geared together by gears 3, which causethe rolls to rotate in opposite directions.

30 As shown in Fig. 3, the shaft of the roller J serves, through themedium of a belt or chain 4,

to actuate the feed-rolls. The feed-rolls are connected by a system ofbelts or chains 5 at one side of the machine and spur-gears 6 at theother side of 'the machine in such manner that members of each set offeed-rolls are rotated in opposite directions and in such a way as tofeed the materials through the machine. It will be understood that thefeed-rolls C and D which coact with the trimmer-rolls C and D, rotate atthe same speed as the sets of feed-rollers B, B

and B The final conveyor G is actuated from one of the rear feed-rolls Bby means of a belt or chain I.

45 The surfaces of the sets of feed-rolls B, B and B may be 01' anysuitable material. They may, for example, be of rubber adapted to yieldslightly.

The trimmer-rollers C and D preferably are 50 covered with wire-bristlecloth, as indicated at 8, the bristles being set so as to inclinerearwardly with respect to the direction of rotation. The surfaces ofthe coacting feed rolls C and D may be of any suitable material.Preferably they 55 are covered with wire-bristle cloth, the bristleshaving a rearward inclination at the bight. The use of wire bristles onthe feed-rolls proper tends to give a more positive forward feed of thematerials while they are being operated upon by the 60 trimmer-rolls.

The suction-box E is shown provided with cross-members 9 and "I whichsupport rigidly secured metal plates 9 and I interposed between therolls, as shown in Fig. 4. An additional trans- 65 verse plate I lforming a part of the bed is shown at the left of the trimmer-roll D inFig. 4. Between the plates and also between the plate 9 and the frontwall l2 of the suction-box are openings through which air may be drawndownwardly 70 through the suction-box.

' The machine enables panels of various forms to be fedv through andhave a layer of cotton batting, for example, applied thereto. In Fig. 2,two series of door-panels l3 are shown as being 15 fed through themachine; and, in addition, small vvidedwith openings I3.

panels I4 and I5 (located in the cut-away portions of the door-panels)are being fed through the machine. The panel-board I3 is shown pro- Itis noted, also, that the panel-boards are spaced with relation to eachother. This, in effect, is the same as perforations through thepanel-board, since the cotton can be drawn downwardly through the spacesand brought within the range of action of the trimmer-rolls C and D.

The cotton preferably is supplied to the machine from a roll K supportedon a core K which is vertically movable in standards K which flank theconveyor F. As shown, the strip I6 of cotton batting is drawn from theroll K by the feedrolls. In turn, the roll of batting operates, inconjunction with the conveyor F, to convey the panel-boards [3, I4 andI5 to the feed-rolls.

In the preferred practice of the process, the panel-boards, having theirupper surfaces sprayed with adhesive, are placed on the conveyor F, andthereby carried between the roll of batting and the conveyor and thenceforwardly to the feedrolls. In passing between the sets of feed-rolls Band B, the cotton padding is evenly ironed upon the panel-boards as theypass in succession through the machine. As the work passes over thesuction-box E, the suction is suflicient to rupture the cotton at allpoints not supported by the panel-boards, and the projecting portions ofthe cotton are drawn downwardly about the edges of the panel boards intothe suction-box. As the downwardly depending portions of the cotton passthe trimmer-roll C, that roll operates to trim away portions of thecotton, these portions then passing through the suction-duct E to asuitable collectorlnot shown). The trimmer-roll C operates toeffectively trim, against any rearwardly presented edges of thepanel-boards, the depending portions of cotton. Thus, the trimmer-roll 0acts particularly with respect to the rearwardly presented front wallsof the perforations and the rearwardly presented rear edges of thepanel-boards to trim the cotton with respect to said edges.

As the work progresses through the machine, the trimmer-roll D operatesparticularly to trim the depending cotton against the forwardlypresented edges of the panel-boards, that is, the front edges of thepanel boards and the forwardly presented rear Walls of the openings inthe panelboards.

The first trimmer-r011 C operates to remove most of the cotton whichdepends over the lateral edges of the panel-boards; and this action issupplemented by the action of the second trimmer-roll B as the workprogresses through the machine.

In Fig. 5, the action of the second trimmer-r011 (the trimmer-roll D) isillustrated, trimming the cotton against the forwardly presented edge'of the opening 13 in the panel-board. It will be understood that beforethe work reached this point, the cotton had already been trimmed withrespect to the front. half of the opening l3 by the roller C actingagainst the rearwardly presented edge of the opening. It'will be notedthat the cotton fibres are drawn downwardly about the wall of theopening, as indicated at I6. Thus, in effect, the cotton fibres form alining for the wall of the opening. A similar result is secured whereverthe trimmer-rolls act in opposition to the forwardly presented edges orthe rearwardly presented edges, as'the case may be, of the panel-boards.In Fig. 2, the cut-away portion of the panel I3 is indicated at I3" Whenthe panel is passed through the machine in the direction indicated, thewall of the cut-away portion is, in efiect, presented rearwardly, actinglike the rearwardly presented front wall of a perforation. Both trimmersact upon the downwardly drawn cotton at the lateral edges of thepanelboard, the trimmer-roll D serving to remove any bits of cottonwhich have not been removed by the trimmer-roll C. At the lateral edges,some of the fibres are left drawn downwardly and in efiect wrapped aboutthe lateral edges. tending to hold the margins of the cotton in positionand. produce a certain amount of binding of the fibres about the lateraledges of the panel-board. If desired, the mechanism may be varied toprovide trimmers which will operate with respect to the lateral edges ofthe panel-boards very much as the trimmer-rolls C and D operate withrespect to the forwardly and rearwardly presented edge-walls of thepanel-boards and the openings therein.

Preferably, as stated, the trimmer-rolls C and D are equipped with wirebristles which scratch or tear the padding material bit by bit from theunwoven sheet. Thus, said rolls actto brushtrim the projecting marginsof the padding material at the edges of the panel-board.

Fig. 7 illustrates one of the improved trimpanels applied to aframe-member ll! of an automobile body. Between the layer of cotton l6and the panel-board I3 is a coating of adhesive designated l8. Appliedover the padding it is a cover 19 of suitable finish-fabric. The fabricill has its margins turned about the margins of the padded panel-boardand cemented to the rear surface'of the panel-board by adhesive id. Thepanel-board is shown provided near its edges with snap-fasteners 20which may be of any suitable form and which may be secured to thetrimpanel in any desired manner. In the illustration given, thespring-prongs 20a in the fastener extend through a perforation ill ofthe framemember llL, It will be noted that the fibres of the cotton itare drawn downwardly about the edge of the panel-board l3, as indicatedat it", corresponding, in thisrespect, with the efiect shown at theperforation m in Fig. 5.

The improved method enables production to be speeded up enormously, andprovides an improved product, in which the layer of padding material isvery smoothly applied to the panel-board and very effectively securedthereto. In a measure, the edges of the panel-board are moderatelypadded and rounded. That very great economy is effected will be evidentto those skilled in the art when it is remarked that it becomesunnecessary, because of the improved process, to manufacture bluewadding and dye-cut the same into pre-formed pads for application to thepanelboards; As mentioned above, dificulty is experienced in the oldmethod, in obtaining perfect registration of the pre-cut padding sheetand the panel-board. Not only is the expense of the old method fargreater, but the same uniformity in thickness and. unruilied smoothnessof surface adjacent the inner surface of the covering cannot beattained.

The panel-plates which are to be upholstered may be of any suitablematerial, such as fibre board, ply-board, or the like. Sheet metal maybe employed, but is less desirable.

In a broad sense, the use of suction in the improved process utilizespneumatic pressure for rupturing the cotton and forcing the marginalportions downwardly about the edges of the panelboard. Accordingly, theuse of pneumatic pressure, however applied, for accomplishing thisresult is to be regarded as an equivalent and Within the scope ofappended claims.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly 'aspermissible in view of the prior art.

What I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of producing an upholstery panel which comprises applyingpneumatic action to a panel-plate and an associated layer of fibrouspadding material to force projecting portions of the padding materialabout the edges of the panelplate, and removing marginal portions of thepadding material.

2. A method of producing upholstery panels which comprises passing aseries of panel-plates and an overlying continuous strip of paddingmaterial within the range of a pneumatic device and drawing portions ofthe padding material downwardly about the edges of the panel-plates, andtrimming'away the projecting portions of the padding material.

3. A method of producing upholstery panels which comprises adhesivelyjoining a series of panel plates and a layer of padding material,subjecting them to suction to rupture the padding material and drawportions of the padding material about the edges of the panel-plates,and removing the projecting portions of the padding material.

4. In the manufacture of upholstery panels, a method which comprises:passing over a suction device a series of panel-plates and an overlyingcontinuous sheet of unwoven padding material, and by means of suctionrupturing the padding material and drawing portions of the paddingmaterial about the edges of the panel-plates, and trimming awayprojecting portions of the padding material.

5. A method of producing upholstered panels which comprises feeding aseries of adhesivecoated panel-plates and an overlying continuous sheetof padding material through compressing means and then over asuction-device; applying suction to rupture the padding material anddraw portions thereof downwardly about the edges of the panel-plates;and trimming away projecting portions of the padding material.

6. A method as specified in claim 4, characterized by performing thetrimming action'by rotary trimmers acting against opposed edges of thepanel-rplates.

7. A method of producing panels which com;- prises feeding a series ofadhesive-coated panelplates and a continuous strip of batting betweencompression-rolls, the batting being taken from a roll and actinginconjunction with a conveyor to feed the panel-plates to thecompression-rolls; passing the work over a suction bed and applyingsuction to rupture the batting and draw portions thereof downwardlyabout the edges of the panelplates; and trimming the depending portionsof the batting and conveying the trimmed portions away by suction.

8. Apparatus for the purpose set forth, comprising a suction device;trimmers associated therewith; and means for feeding a series ofpanel-plates and an associated layer of batting liil across thesuction-device and within the range of said trimmers.

9. Apparatus for the purpose set forth, comprising a suction-bed;trimmers therein; and

5 means for feeding a continuous sheet of batting and an underlyingseries of panel-plates to and across said bed, said means comprising aconveyor for advancing the panel-plates and a superposed source ofsupply for the continuous sheet of batting. l

10. Apparatus'for the purpose set'forth, comprising a suction-bed; meansfor applying suction thereto; trimmers associated with said suction-bed;compression feed-rolls between which the materials pass on their way tothe trimmers;

a conveyor for feeding adhesive-coated panelplates; and a source ofsupply from which the layer of batting is placed upon the panel-platesas they are forwarded in succession by said conveyor to saidcompression-rolls.

11. Apparatus for the purpose set forth, comprising a bed equipped witha suction-device; bristle-equipped trimmers mounted in saidsuction-device below said bed; and means for feeding over thesuction-device and trimmers a series of panel-plates and an overlyingcontinuous sheet of padding material,

12. Apparatus for the manufacture of upholstery-panels comprising: asuction-device; trimmer-rolls associated with the mouth of saidsuction-device and equipped with means for actuating them at relativelyhigh speed; feed-rolls, including rolls opposed to said trimmer-rolls,said feed-rolls operating at slower speed; and means 35 for supplying acontinuous sheet of batting to the feed-rolls.

13. Apparatus for the manufacture of upholstery-panels comprising: a bedequipped with feed-rolls and with trimming-rolls; means for supplying acontinuous sheet of batting and a series of panel-boards to saidfeed-rolls with said panel-boards at the side of said sheet which istowards the trimming-rolls; and means for forcing cotton from said sheetdownwardly about the edges of the panel-boards to bring said cottonwithin the action of said trimming-rolls.

14. In apparatus for use in producing upholstered panels comprising apanel-plate and batting applied to a surface thereof: a power-drivenpermanent conveyor serving to support a plurality of pre-formedpanel-plates in series and advance said plates; and means for supplyinga continuous sheet of batting, such as cotton batting, over andcompressing the same upon the advancing panel-plates.

15. Apparatus as specified in claim 14, in which said conveyor is anendless conveyor having a panel-loading end-portion disposed back of thezone of application of the batting to the advancing panel-plates.

16. Apparatus as specified in claim 14, in which said conveyor is anendless conveyor having a panel-loading end-portion disposed back of thezone of application of the batting to the advancing panel-plates, and inwhich the compressing means includes compression-rolls receiving thebatting and underlying panels from said endless conveyor.

17. In the manufacture of upholstery panels, the steps which comprise:feeding a continuous sheet of unwoven fibrous padding material;adhesively applying a series of pre-formed panelplates thereto; and,afterwards rupturing said sheet of padding material between adjacentedges of said panel-plates and brush-trimming the padding material atthe edges of said panel-plates.

18. In the manufacture of upholstered panels, the steps which comprise:feeding a continuous sheet of unwoven fibrous padding material; applyinga series of pre-formed panel-plates thereto; and then rupturing saidsheet of paddingmaterial between the panel-plates and brushtrimmingprojecting portions of said paddingmaterial at the edges of saidpanel-plates.

ALLIS'IER S. MITCHELL.

